Biography
Philosophical ideas of Lebon
Le Bon was one of the first to attempt to theoretically substantiate the onset of the "era of the masses" and to connect with this the general decline of culture. He believed that due to the volitional underdevelopment and low intellectual level of large masses of people, they are ruled by unconscious instincts, especially when a person finds himself in a crowd. Here there is a decrease in the level of intelligence, responsibility, independence, criticality fall, the personality as such disappears.
He became known for trying to show the commonality that exists between the state of affairs and patterns in the psychology of the masses. American sociologist Neil Smelser writes that “despite criticism, Lebon's thoughts are of interest. He predicted the important role of the crowd in our time", and also "described the methods of influencing the crowd, which were subsequently used by leaders like Hitler, for example, the use of simplified slogans."
Main works
- Delving into the social life of a citizen, he (a foreigner) will see that if it is necessary to correct a source in a village, build a seaport or lay a railway, then they always appeal not to the state, but to personal initiative. Continuing his research, he soon learns that this people (the English), despite the shortcomings that make them the most intolerable of nations for a foreigner, alone is truly free, because he alone has learned the art of self-government and has managed to leave a minimum of active power to the government. .
- ... he who does not know how to control himself is condemned to soon fall under the power of others.
- If it were necessary to assess the social level of peoples in history by one measure, then I would willingly take as a scale the degree of ability to control their instincts.
- When one examines the causes that have gradually brought to ruin all the different peoples of which history tells us, whether they be Persians, Romans, or any other people, you see that the main factor in their fall was always a change in their mental disposition, resulting from the decline their character.
- Let us first summarize in a few words the features of the Anglo-Saxon race that inhabited the United States. There is, perhaps, no one in the world with a more homogeneous and more definite mental make-up than the representatives of this race. The predominant traits of this temperament, from the point of view of character, are: a reserve of will, which (perhaps, excluding the Romans) very few peoples possessed, indomitable energy, very great initiative, absolute self-control, a sense of independence, brought to extreme unsociableness, powerful activity, very tenacious religious feelings, very steadfast morality and a very clear idea of duty. From an intellectual point of view, it is difficult to give a special characterization, i.e. point out those special features that could not be found in other civilized nations. One can only note common sense, which allows one to grasp on the fly practical and positive side things and not to wander in chimerical research, a very lively attitude towards facts and a moderately calm attitude towards general ideas and religious traditions.
- Almost a century and a half has passed since the poets and philosophers, extremely ignorant of the primitive history of man, the diversity of his mental structure and the laws of heredity, threw into the world the idea of the equality of people and races.
- There is not a single psychologist, not a single enlightened statesman, and especially not a single traveler, who would not know how false the chimerical concept of the equality of people is.
- … the mental void created by the past between people and races can only be filled by very slow hereditary accumulations.
- Faith has no other more serious enemy than faith.
- How many people are able to understand their own opinions, and how many such opinions can be found that could stand even after the most superficial examination?
- The essential elements of the persuasion mechanism are not to be found in the merit of any evidence. They inspire their ideas with the prestige they have, or by appealing to the passions, but no influence can be produced by appealing to reason alone. The masses never allow themselves to be convinced by proofs, but only by assertions, and the authority of these assertions depends on the charm that the person who makes them enjoys.
- Happiness depends very little on external circumstances, but very much on the state of our soul. The martyrs at their stakes probably felt much happier than their executioners. Watchman on railway The man who eats his garlic-rubbed crust of bread carelessly can be infinitely happier than the troubled millionaire.
- Who knows how to mislead the crowd, he easily becomes its master; whoever seeks to reason with her is always her victim.
- ...believing that forms of government and constitutions are of decisive importance in the fate of the people is to indulge in childhood dreams. Only in himself is his destiny, but not in external circumstances. All that can be demanded of a government is that it be the spokesman for the feelings and ideas of the people it is called upon to govern.
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LeBon believed that a decisive role in social processes It's not the mind that plays, but the emotions. From the positions of aristocratism, he opposed all forms of social equality and democracy, trying to prove that all the achievements of civilization are the result of the activities of the elite. LeBon- the author of one of the first concepts of mass society: identifying the mass with the crowd, he prophesied the onset of the "era of the masses" and the subsequent decline of civilization. As a result of the industrial revolution, the growth of cities and mass media communications modern life, Lebon, is increasingly determined by the behavior of crowds, which are always a blind, destructive force. In the crowd, individuals lose their sense of responsibility and find themselves in the grip of irrational feelings, dogmatism, intolerance, omnipotence, because they are controlled by the law of "spiritual unity of the crowd."
Books that literally turned our understanding of the laws development society, and which revealed to us the secrets of how politicians control the minds of the masses became the books of the great French thinker, philosopher, economist and historian Gustave LeBona(Gustav LeBon) (1841-1931). These are the books "Psychology of Peoples and Masses" and "Psychology of Socialism"
"Psychology of peoples and masses"- the reference book of all politicians seeking power. It was reread and carefully studied by Lenin, Hitler, Mussolini, Stalin. It outlines the basic and simple principles of crowd behavior, describes how politicians achieve success in the struggle for power.
The paradox and tragedy of the author is that, with a few exceptions, in this century the works of the famous scientist-encyclopedist Gustave LeBona studied in depth only by would-be dictators. Those to whom the books were addressed by the author remained deaf to his warnings and foresights. The ghost still walks around Europe, as well as the rest of the world:
"Psychology of Socialism"- work in many respects intersecting with "Psychology of peoples and masses". An analysis of why people's minds are seized by the desire to "take away and divide." Analysis and patterns of development of societies in Europe and America
The nature of beliefs, the attractiveness and deceitfulness of socialist and democratic ideas. Event scenarios predicted LeBon in this work, came true with amazing accuracy in the twentieth century. This alone compels one to carefully read his books.
In general, his works are a rare property of sound thought. If you are not indifferent to your destiny and want to know how and in what direction, for example, our country is developing, read these books.
The most important role in public development Lebon attributed to ideas imposed on the masses by a few leaders through affirmation, repetition, and contagion. He considered revolutions a manifestation of mass hysteria.
Cit.: 1) The evolution of civilization. O., 1895. 2) Psychology of peoples and masses. SPb., 1896. 3) Psychology of socialism. 2nd ed. SPb., 1908
The famous French psychologist, sociologist, anthropologist and historian, founder of social psychology- Gustave Lebon was born in France, Nogent-le-Rotrou, May 7, 1841. The family, despite the title of nobility, was not rich and belonged to the middle class.
Little is known about the childhood of the future scientist. After graduating from the classical lyceum, Gustave studied medicine at the University of Paris, traveled around Europe, North Africa, Asia.
Although Gustave Lebon was considered a doctor, he never practiced, and his contribution to medicine is based on his scientific articles. So, at the beginning of 1860, Le Bon published a work on chronic diseases of people who live in swampy areas. A little later, he wrote an article on the phenomenon of fever during intoxication of the body.
It is known that in addition to medicine, Lebon's scientific interests included archeology, anthropology and sociology.
In 1870-1771. Gustave went as a volunteer to the front, where he worked as a military doctor, and this experience gave him material for research on human behavior in extreme conditions.
Later, Lebon was actively involved in psychology. He was one of the first to theoretically substantiate the onset of the "era of the masses" and to associate with this the general decline of culture. He believed that due to the underdevelopment and low intellectual level of large masses of people, they are ruled by unconscious instincts, especially if a person finds himself in a crowd. Here there is a decrease in the level of intelligence, responsibility, independence, criticality fall, the personality as such disappears.
The real recognition came to the scientist by the middle of 1890, along with the release of his book "Psychology of Peoples and Masses". This work turned out to be widely discussed, and subsequently Le Bon wrote many more works on a similar topic, including The Psychology of the Crowd, The Psychology of Socialism (1908) and The Evolution of Matter (1912).
The tragedy was that dictators skillfully used his methods of influencing the crowd, carefully studying his works, and how true Le Bon's thoughts and studies turned out to be can be judged in the course of history.
So, for example, the work of the scientist "Psychology of the Crowd" in many ways became a tool for the formation of the fascist theory of leadership, being a kind of textbook for Hitler. In addition, he paid tribute to the work of Lebon and Mussolini, for whom The Psychology of the Crowd was almost a reference book.
In general, the books of Gustave Lebon were studied by the Russian politician Plekhanov, the French philosopher Sorel, the politician Gabriel Ganoto and also Sigmund Freud.
Gustave Lebon died on December 13, 1931, in the Parisian suburb of Marne-la-Coquette, at the age of 90.
Biography (Polina Chelpanova)
Gustave Le Bon was born in 1841 in Nogent-le-Rotrou, France (Nogent-le-Rotrou, France), in a family with Breton and Burgundian roots. His family, despite the title of nobility, did not differ in special wealth and belonged to the so-called "middle class". Little is known about the childhood of the future scientist. It is known that after graduating from the classical lyceum, Gustave began to study medicine at the University of Paris (University of Paris), and later he continued to study in Europe (Europe), Asia (Asia) and North Africa (North Africa). It was in the period 1860-1880, and then Lebon had already begun to write his works, which in different time published in medical journals.
Although Gustave Lebon is considered a doctor, he never practiced, and his contribution to medicine is based on his scientific articles.
So, in the early 1860s, Le Bon published a work on chronic diseases of people who live in swampy areas. A little later, he wrote an article on the phenomenon of fever during intoxication of the body, later this article was supplemented by a number of other works on the topic of the same fever.
It is known that in addition to medicine, Lebon's scientific interests included archeology, anthropology and sociology.
His theme was both the statement and definition of the concept of human death, and in 1866 he published a book about this, but these works began to be of interest only a century later. During the same period (1860s), Le Bon also wrote on the topic of the reproduction of species in humans and animals, and this work of his has withstood many reprints.
In 1870-1771, Gustave volunteered for the front, where he worked as a military doctor, and this experience gave him material for research on human behavior in extreme conditions.
Later (after the 1870s) Le Bon was actively involved in psychology, and it was he who first put forward the theory that "psychology is a science necessary for the study of sociology and understanding the history of peoples."
Real recognition came to the scientist by the mid-1890s, along with the release of his book "Psychology of Peoples and Masses" ("Les Lois psychologiques de l" evolution des peuples", English. "The Psychology of Peoples") This book was detailed analysis psychology of the masses, thereby determining the motives of the individual's behavior and the causes of historical events. This work turned out to be widely discussed, and subsequently Le Bon wrote many more works on a similar topic, including "The Psychology of the Crowd" ("La psychologie des foules", English. "The Crowd: A Study of the Popular Mind)," The Psychology of Socialism "("Psychologie du socialisme", Eng. "The Psychology of Socialism", 1908) and "The Evolution of Matter" ("The Evolution of Matter", 1912).
It is believed that the work of the scientist "Psychology of the Crowd" in many ways became a tool for the formation of the fascist theory of leadership, being a kind of "textbook" for Hitler (Adolf Hitler), who even referred to this book in his infamous book "Mein Kampf".
In addition, he paid tribute to the work of Lebon and Benito Mussolini (Benito Mussolini), for which "Psychology of the Crowd" was almost a reference book.
The tragedy was that his "methods of influencing the crowd" were skillfully used by dictators, carefully studying them, and how true Le Bon's thoughts and studies turned out to be can be judged in the course of history.
In general, the books of Gustave Lebon were studied by the Russian politician Plekhanov, the French philosopher Georges Eugene Sorel, Mussolini, Hitler, the politician Gabriel Hanotaux, and Sigmund Freud.
Gustave Lebon died on December 13, 1931, in the Parisian suburb of Marne-la-Coquette (Marnes-la-Coquette), at the age of 90 years.
Biography (M.N. Mazanik)
LEBON (Le Bon) Gustave (1841-1931) - French sociologist, social psychologist, essayist, anthropologist and archaeologist. Major works: "The Evolution of Matter" (1886), "Psychology Mag-s" (1895), "Psychology of Socialism" (second Russian ed., 1908), "Psychology of Revolutions", "Psychology of the Crowd", "Evolution of Forces" ( 1907) and others. In his works, he primarily addressed the problems of the mass psyche and the psychology of peoples. He considered the socio-historical process as a natural, purposeful and determining the unity of mental processes and phenomena, regarded as common among representatives of one people. The totality of such signs determines the unity and specificity of the phenomena of the social order inherent in a given people: the "soul of the people", its feelings, beliefs, thoughts, institutions, arts; the spiritual structure of the people is quite stable and is associated with a certain socio-historical experience. Lebon supported the ideas of the hierarchy of races and the determination of individual mental characteristics by race.
Analyzing the problems of the "psyche of the crowds", L noted such features as predominantly emotional character, infection with a common idea, consciousness of the insurmountability of one's own strength, loss of a sense of responsibility, intolerance, dogmatism, suggestibility, impulsiveness and readiness to follow the leaders. An individual in a crowd is characterized by the loss of an individual beginning and the predominance of unconscious motives in his behavior; the "law of the spiritual unity of the crowd" operates in the crowd, and the individual rational principle is suppressed. From an elitist position, Lebon assessed the history of civilization and made predictions about its future. In his opinion, the achievements of culture are associated with the activities of a certain aristocratic beginning, which creates and imposes ideas and models on the masses through approval, repetition and infection. He acted as an opponent of the ideas of democracy and equality.
According to Le Bon, the development of industry, the mass media, the growth of cities will lead to the fact that public life will increasingly depend on the masses. As a result, society enters the age of the masses, characterized by the dominance of the "unconscious activity of the crowd." The concepts of "mass" and "crowd" Lebon identified. Theoretical and ideological positions of Le Bon were especially clearly reflected in his criticism of socialism and socialist ideas. Socialism, according to Le Bon, can be realized only as a society consisting of crowds of people unadapted to life and degenerates. Lebon associated the possibility of the socialists coming to power with a peaceful or armed coup; the result of the establishment of the socialist system will be the nationalization of the economy, leading to its lagging behind in comparison with other countries and to economic collapse. Socialism inevitably, as Le Bon believed, evolves towards anarchy and dictatorship.
Le Bon's work, which is more of a journalistic than a research nature, nevertheless led to the creation of early versions of the concepts of mass society and mass culture, influenced, in particular, Freud (the concept of the generic unconscious, etc.).
Gustave Lebon on the peoples and socialism in Russia... (Sociological encyclopedia in two volumes / Edited by G.Yu. Semigina, M., "Thought", 2003, volume 2, p. 549.)
The Frenchman Gustave Lebon (1841-1931) is known to most as the author of works on crowd effects.
It is less known that G. Le Bon had an extremely negative attitude towards the ideas of equality, arguing that a natural consequence of the development of civilization is the differentiation of individuals and races, the normal relationships of which are unthinkable outside of a hierarchical structure.
In his publications, he "... divides races and peoples into four groups according to the level of development:
Primitive - those that stopped at the level of the Stone Age (Fijians, Australian Aborigines);
- the lowest - those who have the beginnings of civilization ("Negroes");
- medium - those who have a high type of civilization (Chinese, Japanese, Semites);
- higher - Indo-Europeans with their characteristic high level cultural development.
The main criterion for the development of the people - the ability to control their instincts. By acquiring power over themselves, the people realize the need for public self-sacrifice in the name of the national ideal, acquire the need for self-improvement, energy, will, predetermined by the racial factor that also affects the ability of the people to perceive certain ideas, including socialist ones, which “like different institutions among peoples, the essence of the consequences of their race." The people themselves are seen as a pyramid, the base of which is the dark masses, the middle part - the educated strata, the top - a small group of creative individuals (scientists, writers, artists), who have reached perfection in the process of rigorous social selection and determine the level of civilization of the country.
For Gustave Lebon, socialist ideas are completely unacceptable, which, in his opinion, contradict the principles of democracy and freedom. He, however, recognized the strength of their influence on the masses and the possibility of their realization, at the same time warning his compatriots: “Since socialism must be tested by something, because only such an experience will heal the peoples from their chimeras, then all our efforts should be directed towards to ensure that this experience was made sooner outside of our patronymic than with us.
Biography (Encyclopedia of Sociology, 2009)
Le Bon (Le Bon) Gustave (05/07/1841, Nogent-le-Rotru - 12/15/1931, Paris) - French sociologist, social psychologist and publicist; also dealt with issues of anthropology, archeology, and natural science. Following Gobineau, he defended the concept of racial determinism, emphasizing the hierarchical nature of racial division and the special significance of race in the development of civilization.
LeBon believed that the decisive role in social processes is played not by reason, but by emotions. From the positions of aristocratism, he opposed all forms of social equality and democracy, trying to prove that all the achievements of civilization are the result of the activities of the elite. LeBon is the author of one of the first concepts of a mass society: identifying the mass with the crowd, he prophesied the onset of the "era of the masses" and the subsequent decline of civilization. As a result of the industrial revolution, the growth of cities and mass media, modern life, according to Le Bon, is increasingly determined by the behavior of crowds, which always represent a blind, destructive force. In the crowd, individuals lose their sense of responsibility and find themselves in the grip of irrational feelings, dogmatism, intolerance, omnipotence, because they are controlled by the law of "spiritual unity of the crowd."
Books that literally turned our understanding of the laws of social development, and which revealed to us the secrets of how politicians control the minds of the masses, were the books of the great French thinker, philosopher, economist and historian Gustave LeBon (Gustav LeBon) (1841-1931). These are the books "Psychology of Peoples and Masses" and "Psychology of Socialism"
"Psychology of peoples and masses" - a reference book for all politicians who sought power. It was reread and carefully studied by Lenin, Hitler, Mussolini, Stalin. It outlines the basic and simple principles of crowd behavior, describes how politicians achieve success in the struggle for power.
The paradox and tragedy of the author is that, with a few exceptions, in this century the works of the famous encyclopedist Gustave Le Bon were studied in depth only by potential dictators. Those to whom the books were addressed by the author remained deaf to his warnings and foresights. The ghost still walks around Europe, as well as the rest of the world:
"Psychology of Socialism" is a work in many respects intersecting with "Psychology of Peoples and Masses". An analysis of why people's minds are seized by the desire to "take away and divide." Analysis and patterns of development of societies in Europe and America
The nature of beliefs, the attractiveness and deceitfulness of socialist and democratic ideas. The scenarios of events predicted by Le Bon in this work came true with amazing accuracy in the 20th century. This alone compels one to carefully read his books.
In general, his works are a rare property of sound thought. If you are not indifferent to your destiny and want to know how and in what direction, for example, our country is developing, read these books.
The most important role in social development Le Bon attributed to the ideas imposed on the masses by a few leaders through affirmation, repetition and infection. He considered revolutions a manifestation of mass hysteria.
Cit.: 1) The evolution of civilization. O., 1895. 2) Psychology of peoples and masses. SPb., 1896. 3) Psychology of socialism. 2nd ed. SPb., 1908
Gustav Lebon "Psychology of Socialism" (PREFACE. S. Budaevsky (1908))
Gustave Lebon's book "The Psychology of Socialism" can now be of great use in the fight against socialism and revolutionism. She withstood five editions in France in a short period of time, translated into several European languages and, one must think, managed to protect many minds from disastrous socialist and political passions.
Gustave Lebon is a well-known author of more than twenty scientific works on physical chemistry, physiology, anthropology, history, sociology and philosophy. The encyclopedic nature of the author and his work are truly amazing. The book "Psychology of Socialism" is one of his later works, published after the works "Psychology of Education" and "Psychology of the Crowd".
The book "Psychology of Socialism", according to the famous socialist Sorel, "is the most full work published in France on socialism, deserving great attention due to the originality of the author's ideas, leading to the most serious reflections. Indeed, the content of this book is very original and strikes with the strength and persuasiveness of the evidence provided, with the complete objectivity of the study. The analysis of social phenomena relates almost exclusively to the life of Western peoples, and therefore this book is especially useful for the Russian reader, as an outside, impartial spectator who can find in it an impressive and instructive warning. This book reminds historical examples of the danger of infatuation with socialist utopias in general, and reveals with complete certainty the disastrous significance of all revolutions.
In addition, this book is of great pedagogical interest. In it, the author considers the significance of education and compares its characters among the peoples of the Latin and Anglo-Saxon races; finds out the harm of excessive bookishness and theoreticism of education and the power of true patriotism, without which no nation can be strong.
This book also touches upon the question of the great importance for the people of the army, strong primarily in spirit, well trained and disciplined; the entire utopian nature of anti-militarism, which is now in vogue, has been fully clarified.
Other phenomena of state importance related to the field of agriculture, industry, trade, finance, etc. have also been analyzed; clarified the conditions under which a given country can flourish, and the reasons leading the country to decline.
There are, however, weaknesses in this book in relation to the depth and completeness of the study, but there are very few such places, and they mostly concern non-primary issues. Of the major issues, the analysis of which is poorly substantiated, only one can be noted: the comparison of Christian socialism with socialist utopias. Here the subjectivity of the author's judgments took precedence over objectivity, and a footnote had to be made to restore the balance.
Despite these shortcomings, the book generally retains its merits. The general character and calmness of that study, with a generally accessible form of presentation, tune the mind to “cautious conclusions, free from any prejudice and passion, deepen thought to the very roots of the phenomena studied.
The first edition of the complete Russian translation of this book, in the amount of 3,200 copies, sold out in a very short time.
Biography (en.wikipedia.org)
Lebon was born in France, in Nogent-le-Rotrou, died in Marne-la-Coquette.
He studied medicine, then traveled to Europe, North Africa, Asia in 1860-1880.
Philosophical ideas of Lebon
Le Bon was one of the first to attempt to theoretically substantiate the onset of the "era of the masses" and to connect with this the general decline of culture. He believed that due to the volitional underdevelopment and low intellectual level of large masses of people, they are ruled by unconscious instincts, especially when a person finds himself in a crowd. Here there is a decrease in the level of intelligence, responsibility, independence, criticality fall, the personality as such disappears.
He became known for trying to show the commonality that exists between the state of affairs and patterns in the psychology of the masses. American sociologist Neil Smelser writes that “despite criticism, Lebon's thoughts are of interest. He predicted the important role of the crowd in our time”, and also “characterized the methods of influencing the crowd, which were subsequently used by leaders like Hitler, for example, the use of simplified slogans.” [Source not specified 1170 days].
Stalin's personal secretary in the 1920s. B.G. Bazhanov in his memoirs pointed out, with reference to Fotieva and Glyasser, that Le Bon's book "Psychology of Peoples and Masses" was one of V.I. Lenin:
Main works
* History of Arab Civilization (1884)
* History of the Civilizations of India (1887)
* "Real equestrianism" (1892)
* "Psychology of peoples and masses" (1895)
* The Psychology of Education (1902)
* "The Psychology of Socialism" (1908)
* "The Evolution of Matter" (1912)
Literature
* Gustave Lebon Psychology of peoples and masses. - M.: Academic project, 2011. - 238 p. - ISBN 978-5-8291-1283-7
* Pierre-Andre Taghieff Color and blood. French theories of racism = La couleur et le sang doctrines racistes a la francaise. - M.: Ladomir, 2009. - 240 p. - ISBN 978-5-86218-473-0
Notes
1. Boris Bazhanov. "Memoirs of the former secretary of Stalin"
Gustave Le Bon is a French philosopher, sociologist, psychologist, physician, as well as a physicist and chemist. main theme his interests were the psychology of the human masses, through which, thanks to which alone it is possible to reveal the meaning of human history.
According to Le Bon, the only way to master the masses is through deception and the creation of great illusions. The great men of history achieve success only by understanding these truths and putting them into practice. Le Bon rejects other methods as useless and ineffective, explaining that the main mechanism of people's behavior, especially the human masses, is in the unconscious. He seeks to prove that attempts to build human well-being on the ideals of rationalism are unsuccessful.
Lebon owns the works: "Man and Society" (1881), "Arab Civilization" (1884), "Civilization in India" (1887), "The First Civilizations of the East" (1889), "Thoughts and Beliefs" (1911), "French revolution and the psychology of revolutions" (1912), "The Life of Truth" (1914), "The Real Evolution of the World" (1927), " Scientific Foundations philosophy of history" (1931), "Psychological laws of the evolution of peoples" (1894), "Psychology of peoples and masses" (1895), "Psychology of socialism" (1908), "Psychology of modern times" (1920), "Psychology of education" (1910 ).
The work "Psychology of peoples and masses" is a kind of result of his research in historical psychology. If T. Carlyle considered heroes driving force history, then Le Bon shows "the role of great people in the development of civilization." He emphasizes and insists that "the small selection of eminent men that a civilized people have, and that it would be enough to destroy in every generation to immediately strike this people from the list of civilized nations, just constitutes the true embodiment of the forces of the race." It is these people who make progress in the sciences, arts, industry, in all branches of civilization.
The crowd enjoys these achievements, but does not love those who rise above it, and it is these latter who become the martyrs of the crowd. The idea of equality is pernicious for peoples, says Lebon, although he knows well the ideas of the French Revolution about freedom, equality and fraternity. “In order for equality to reign in the world, it would be necessary to gradually reduce everything that was the value of a certain race to the level of what is in it the lowest. It is impossible to exalt the intellectual level of the last of the peasants to the genius of any Lavoisier. It is easy to destroy such geniuses, but they cannot be replaced.”
In social and political activity, fanaticism has an advantage over moderation. Fanatics with a limited mind, but an energetic character and strong passions, can establish religions, empires, raise the masses. For such people, an ideal is created, worshiped, and then destroyed. Le Bon claims that the famous creators of various fata morgana radically transformed, changed the world, because they embodied the dreams of the people. The power of influence of these people depends little on whether their ideas are true or not. History shows that the most ridiculous ideas have always had a stronger influence on people and played a crucial role. Of all the factors in the development of civilization, illusions constitute the most powerful factor. Not in pursuit of truth, but rather in pursuit of falsehood, humanity has spent most their efforts. Setting chimerical goals, it, of course, did not achieve them. However, in harassing them, it made the progress that it did not seek at all.
Considering the masses as an inert, passive force, which alone is capable of living in illusions, Lebon notes the desire of the masses for absolute, final truths. Meanwhile, Le Bon emphasizes, things themselves do not change. Only ideas about these things are subject to change. Crafty politicians rely on these ideas, which in general forms a demagogic lifestyle, the proclamation and perception of slogans, where every word seems to be clear, but in general, who knows what this slogan means.
Lebon complains that main feature his era is the replacement of the conscious activity of individuals by the unconscious activity of the crowd. The people can only play a destructive role, which leads to the collapse of civilization. At the same time, legislators and statesmen should know the psychology of the masses, because the era that has come will be the era of the masses. Biologically and physiologically, this means the cessation of the activity of the cerebral hemispheres and the dominance of spinal cord reflexes. Mental abilities are reduced. In connection with the dominance of the instincts of the crowd, it is easy to induce to the "heroic", but even easier - to the crime. Later, E. Fromm wrote off all forms of "escape from freedom" from Lebon.
Whatever the individuals with their character and mind, as soon as they enter the crowd, this is enough to form a collective soul in them, and they now think and act differently than outside the crowd. Here, according to Le Bon, the unconscious driving forces of behavior come into play, which are the soul of the race.
People differ in their conscious attitude to the world, they are unified in the deep driving forces of behavior. “In the collective soul, the intellectual abilities of individuals, their individuality, disappear; heterogeneous is buried in homogeneous, unconscious qualities take over. The crowd becomes irresponsible because it is anonymous. In the crowd, any feeling is contagious, so the individual sacrifices personal interests to the collective. In a crowd, and this is the main thing, a person is suggestible. Conscious brain activity is paralyzed. A person is not aware of his actions, acts headlong. He turns into a robot that has no will of its own. The crowd can turn a coward into a hero, a skeptic into a believer, an honest man into a criminal. Le Bon specifically considers the feelings and morality of the crowd, its reasoning and imagination, the religious forms in which its beliefs are embodied. He classifies the crowd and gives detailed description criminal mobs, the actions of juries and criminal courts, as well as parliamentary assemblies.
First of all, the impulsiveness, inconstancy and irritation of the crowd are striking. Recall the classic image of the crowd in the forum after the assassination of Caesar from Shakespeare's tragedy Julius Caesar. This scene is enough to contain all the theories and concepts of social psychology.
Lebon gives other examples. The crowd is never prudent. She is intolerant, influenced by authority and conservative. Even a temporary manifestation of revolutionary sentiment does not prevent the crowd from being conservative. Le Bon's essential remark: the normal state of a crowd that stumbles upon an obstacle is frenzy. The crowd, devoid of any critical abilities, appears as extremely frivolous. The mechanism of formation of collective hallucinations is very active in it. Therefore, Le Bon notes that the most dubious events are precisely those that were observed by the largest number of people. After the death of heroes, legends are created around them.
Le Bon traces the attitude to Napoleon Bonaparte under the Bourbons as an idyllic philanthropist, further - as a bloody despot who lost three million people just to satisfy his vanity. Now, says Lebon, the old legend is back. Some time will pass, and scientists of the future, given the conflicting information about the hero, will question his very existence, as was the case, in particular, with regard to Buddha and other historical figures. Atheists in the 20th century denied the existence of Christ as a historical person, but recognized the existence of Buddha, Mohammed and other creators of world and regional religions: each era has its own legends. In the 20s of the XX century. atheists created their own atheistic spelling and wrote the name of the God-man with a small letter.
The crowd is characterized by simple and extreme feelings. She treats the truth as absolute, as well as errors. The individual experiences contradiction, the crowd never. Intolerance and authority are characteristic of all categories of the crowd. The masses respect strength, but kindness does not bother them much. Ready to oppose the weak power, the crowd slavishly bows before the strong power. Quickly tired of their problems, the crowd instinctively strives for slavery.
Psychologically, Lebon explains these properties of the crowd by the fact that it thinks in images that arise one after another without any connection. The best proof of the truth for the crowd is the presence of the miraculous. In all religions, believers require a miracle to prove it. These and other facts give him the opportunity to assert that the miraculous and legendary are the true pillars of the formation of civilization. A real demagogue knows how to influence the imagination of the crowd, which is the backbone of the miraculous. Evidence does not affect the crowd. It requires religious attitudes, since all beliefs can only be assimilated if they are embodied in a religious form that does not allow any objections. Even atheism, having mastered the crowd, turns into a cult.
Lebon approaches the interaction between demagogues and the crowd from two sides: demagogues only capture the mood of the crowd and lead it along. However, the crowd determines what the demagogues do. Lebon claims: it was not the kings who gave birth to Bartholomew's night, religious wars in general, it was not Robespierre, Danton or Saint-Just who created terror. In all relevant events, the soul of the crowd participated, and not the power of the ruling persons.
The distant influences of the crowd are race, traditions, the nature of the era, institutions and education. Lebon also establishes immediate factors of the crowd's thoughts, reminiscent of the image of the sphinx from the legend: we must either learn to solve the riddles of this creature, or it will swallow us. Important role the word plays here, not its real meaning. It would be possible to build a pyramid higher than that of Cheops, from the bones of only those people who fell victim to the power of words and formulas.
Lebon rightly notes that very often words with a very indefinite meaning have greatest influence to the crowd. This applies, in particular, to such terms as socialism, equality, freedom, etc. He himself sees in them magical power, as if these words contain the solution to all everyday problems. These words, he concludes, form a synthesis of all unconscious various drives and hopes for their realization. Neither proofs nor convictions can stand against known words and formulas. After public upheavals, statesmen must change the words-slogans without changing the essence of things, because they are closely connected with the spiritual heredity of the people. During the consulate and empire in France, the institutions and taxes remained the same. Only their name has been changed.
The task given to words, Le Bon argues, is to create an illusion. On this occasion, he gives a detailed aphorism: most of all temples, statues, altars were dedicated to the creators of illusions. The crowd needs illusions (after all, this is a factor of civilization). Therefore, he emphasizes as the main factor in the "evolution of peoples" not truth, but error. This is an old revelation of human culture, as pointed out by Dante, Rabelais, Shakespeare, Cervantes and others. Pushkin wrote the lines on this subject:
The darkness of low truths is dearer to us
A deceit that elevates us.
Gustave Lebon speaks of this in frank prose: who knows how to mislead the crowd, he easily becomes its master; whoever wants to reason with her becomes her victim. And then they offer practical advice. To convince the crowd, you must first become well acquainted with the feelings that inspire it, pretend that you share them, and only then try to change them, evoking some images that capture the crowd with the help of primitive associations. Let us recall Shakespeare: Mark Antony at the forum at the body of the murdered Caesar behaves in exactly this way and, finally, completely seizes the crowd.
Le Bon's additional recommendations are already about execution: any slogan only affects people when it is repeated often and, preferably, in the same expressions. Such repetition substitutes for a rational proof. It is through repetition that an idea penetrates into the deep layers of the unconscious, in which the driving forces of our actions nest. .
Paraphrasing the ideas of Dostoevsky's "Grand Inquisitor", he concludes: "Race and pressing problems Everyday life- these are the mysterious owners who direct the destiny of the nation. Psychology of propaganda of the XX century. nothing fundamentally new in comparison with Lebon, did not say.
He also raises a number of questions about the movement of civilizations, about their birth, flourishing and death, which became a special subject of study for such luminaries of historical thought as W. Wundt, A. Toynbee and others.
Lebon believes that many contemporary civilizations are already too outdated and are on the decline, and the interaction of ideal and material factors in the formation of civilization is considered. With the loss of the ideal, the race loses its soul, becomes a crowd. O. Spengler developed these ideas in the first quarter of the 20th century. in his "Twilight of Europe"
An analysis of Le Bon's work "The Psychology of Socialism", performed even before the advent of real socialism, contains a number of prophetic warnings regarding the implementation of his ideas in life. But this is a topic for a separate consideration.
Romenets V.A. History of psychology XIX-XX centuries. - Kyiv, Lybid, 2002
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